Safety razor



M y 30, 1933 H. J. GAHSMAN SAFETY RAZOR Filed March 16, 1951 ATTORNEYPatented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY JAQUES GAISMAN',OF NEW YORK, N". Y., ASSTGNOR T GILLETTE SAFETY RAZOR COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SAFETY RAZORApplication filed March 16, 1931, SeriaLNo. 522,893, and in GreatBritain April 3, 1930. i

The present invention relates to that class of safety razors in whichtwo clamping members, a guard member and a blade-backing member, areprovided, and a thin flexible blade is clamped between the guard andbacking members to retain the cutting edges of the blade in shavingrelation to the guard teeth. In razors of this type it is of greatimportance to preserve the blade-shaping edges of the backing memberagainst distortion, as any departure from the original shape of the saidedges produces a corresponding variation in the amount of edge exposurewhich is likely to impair the shaving qualities of the razor or renderit dangerous to the user. Furthermore, a de formed backing member cornerhas a tendency and often does crack the blade when the razor elementsare clamped together for shaving.

The main object of the present invention is to improve the constructionof safety razors of the type mentioned by rendering the blade-backingmember less liable to distortion in the critical edges thereof, and toprotect and guard these edges by providing contact, shield or fenderportions of relatively rugged construction.

The invention pertains more particularly to a safety razor designed toaccommodate a blade having its corners shaped or cut away to avoid thepossibility of corner pressure by a damaged or distorted blade-backingmember, and in one of its aspects the invention consists in the novelcombination of a flexible blade having cut-out corners with ablade-backing member recessed at its corners to conform substantially tothe contour of the blade. By removing the corners of the blade-backingmember, a centrally disposed elongated portion is defined in the saidmember of suflicient thickness to resist deformation due to dropping orstriking the razor in ordinary use.

W ith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe combination, arrange ment and construction of parts hereinafter 50described, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated intheaccompanying drawing, it being understood that many changes may be madein the'size and proportion of the several parts and details-ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claim without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. V

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which: I

Figure l is an end view of a razor constructed in accordance with thepresent in vention; Fig. 2 is a section takenvon line 2--2 of Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a plan view of the razor, parts of the blade-backing memberbeing broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction; Fig. disa bottom plan view of the blade-backing memberof the construction; Fig.5 is a top plan view of the guard member of the improved razor;

and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blade of suitable'shape for use in theillustrated razor. For purposes of illustration, the invention isdisclosed as applied to a safety razor oi the type described in U. S.Letters Patent No. 1,633,739 granted to me on June 28, 1927, but it willbe readily understood that the invention is applicable to all razors ofthe type above referred to.

Referring now to the drawing, the numera1 10 indicates the guard member,the numeral 11 the blade, and the number 12the blade-backing member ofthe razor, so organized that the said blade may be clamped between saidmembers. The guard member is shown ofthe variety having guard teeth 13in its opposite longitudinal edges, along which the cutting edges 14 ofthe blade ex-.

tend in'an ordinary way for shaving. Any suitableme'ans may be providedfor causing the blade to beclamped between the guard and backingmembers. 'In the example illustrated in the drawing, the backing memberis provided with a screw-threaded spindle 15, whichis adapted to passthrough an aperture, 16 in the blade and through an opening 17 in theguard member, and to engage a screw-threaded socket 18 in a handie 19',to clamp the parts togetherfor shavmember.

ing. The opening 17 is of a size and configuration that the spindle 15is adapted to pass therethrough without positioning the backing memberin relation to the guard apertures may be provided in the blade, ac 1cording to the requirements, without departing from the invention. Thepositioning studs may also be of any suitable configuration, the formherein disclosed being shown only for purposes of illustration. In theblade contacting surface of the guard member are furthermore providedcavities 21, two adjacent each transverse edge of the said guard member,for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The blade is of the thin flexible type and has in each of its cornersformed a recess 22, the said recesses defining a centrally disposedunsharpened elongated portion 23 at each end of the blade. Each oftherecesses terminates adjacent the unsharpened portion 23 in a notch 24.In these notches are adapted to be seated lugs 25 on the bladebackingmember 12, said lugs fitting snugly the said notches, whereby the bladeis adapted to be positioned on the said backing member. When theelements of the razor are assembled, the said lugs extend into thecavities 21 in the transverse edges of the guard These cavities are,however, of a size that the said lugs do not contact with the edgesthereof, so that the lugs do not connect the blade-backing member withguard member.

The blade-backing memberis of maximum thickness along its longitudinalaxis and tapers gradually outward toward the blademember.

shaping edges 26 thereof, having its minimum thickness in the saidblade-shaping edges as is usual in safety razors of this type. Theblade-backing member is provided in each of its corners with a recess27, the said recesses defining at each end of the cap an elongatedcentrally disposed end portion 28 and causing the longitudinalbladeshaping edges of the cap toterminate in shoulders 29, which are setback orwithin the end boundaries of the blade-backing It will beobserved that, on account of the transverse tapering contour of theblade-backing member, the shoulders 30 of the end portions 28 of thesaidmember are considerably thicker and more rugged in their constructionthan the shoulders 13 which terminate the blade-shaping edges of theblade-backing member. The projecting end portions 28 are relatively wideas compared to the whole width of the blade backing member or cap andtherefore extend in close proximity to the blade over-lying cornersthereof and in such position as to protect them against accidentaldamage or distortion. The lugs 25 are provided adjacent the shoulders 30of the blade-backing memher, the outer surface of each lug coincidingsubstantially with the respective longitudinal shoulders 30' of eachblade-backing member recess. These lugs, therefore, serve to some extentas reinforcing means for the blade-backing member.

When the parts are to be assembled for use, the blade is first placedupon the guard member in such manner that the positioning studs 20extend through the blade aperture, whereby the blade is positioned inproper relation to the said guard member. The backing member 12 is thenapplied to the blade so that its clamping spindle 15 passes through theblade aperture and the lugs 25 enter the notches 2 1 in the blade,whereby the backing member is properly positioned, by means of theblade, with respect to the guard member. WVhen the handle is thenscrewed upon the clamping spindle the elements of the razor are firmlyclamped together for shaving. As appears from the drawing, theconfiguration of the bladeclamping member follows the contour of theblade, the recesses in the corners of one of these elements overlyingthe recesses in the corners of the other element. If the assembled razoror the backing member alone is accidentally dropped, the ends of theblade-shaping edges 26 of the blade-backing member are, by theprojecting end portions 28 -of the said member, protected against.

distortion. If the said ends were distorted, they would, when theelements of the razor are clamped together for shaving, have a tendencyto crack the blade or cause uneven exposure of the cutting edges of theblade. The projecting end portions 28, even if they become distorted,donot influence the shape or position of the blade in the assembly,because they are disposed beyond the cuttin edges of'the blade. There islittle likelihood of these projecting portions 28 being distorted, byreason of their rugged construction and also because they are reinforcedby the lugs 25 above described. From the foregoing it appears that theprojecting end portions 28 of the blade-backing member act as shields,fenders or bumpers for the blade-shaping edges 26 thereof, theyextending outwardly from the said edges, which are critical indetermining the shape and exposure of the blade. I

As pointed out above, the invention lies mainly in the provision ofmeans located beyond the blade-shaping longitudinal edges of theblade-backing memberfor preventing breakage or distortion of the latter,and it is obvious that this means may be applied to blade-backingmembers of any suitable type.

I claim:

A safety razor comprising a guard memher, a blade-backing member, and aflexible blade With recessed corners adapted to be clamped between saidmembers, said bladebacking member having thin parallel longitudinalblade-flexing edges, and being recessed at each corner of its peripheryat the extremities of said blade-flexing edges to provide relativelythick projecting fender portions extending above the ends of the bladeand disposed adjacent to the ends of the blade-flexing edges in positionto protect them and a blade positioning lug on said backing memberadjacent to each corner recess.

HENRY JAQUES GAISMAN.

